How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from David Jaffe, Principal of Torrey Pines High School:
I have had the good fortune to build my career as an educator through collaboration. As a teacher, my best year teaching was the year I teamed up with an English teacher to teach a Humanities class. As a administrator I was fortunate to open a high school (CCA) and hire incredible educators who understood the school's success would hinge on the staff's ability to create, problem solve, and grow together. Over a four year period, we hired approximately 25 teachers each year. We spent four years on building a culture of collaboration. I believe very strongly that the most successful schools are those where there are systems in place to provide teachers the opportunity to collaborate and schools where the culture demands collaboration.
In my 18 years of experience in SDUHSD I can honestly say that who I am as an educator is the direct result of the collective collaborative experiences in each of the roles I have served. I feel very fortunate to work in a district that emphasizes and supports collaborative learning environments.
